Foreign Cars That Are Illegal in USA

Why are there Illegal Cars in the USA?

The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is the governing body in the United States responsible for determining what defines a vehicle as being “safe.” Safe for its passengers, safe for other drivers on the road, safe for the environment and safe for the economy. In protecting all of those assets of American life, there’s a lot of legislation created, and a lot of rules for manufacturers to follow. For those who simply can’t get their car fix in the American auto market, foreign markets offer a variety of vehicles, unlike Uncle Sam’s favorites. However, if you continue to live in the US but have an extreme affinity for importing cars that are illegal in the US, there are some forbidden fruits you may never be able to taste.

As a result, many vehicles created by foreign manufacturers need an American variant able to comply with all of the regulations put forth by the NHTSA, otherwise, it is deemed street illegal cars in the US. Of course, that becomes a large endeavor that many manufacturers aren’t necessarily willing to undertake, and as a result, there’s a significant number of vehicles that cannot be imported into this country.

There’s no question about the fact that the United States car market is missing some key European players. Whether due to lack of market interest, inability to comply with American safety regulations and emissions standards, or the simple inability to fund the import process, thousands of cars are produced every year that will never get the chance to burn rubber on Highway 52 or down US-1.

This list can change as years pass, so be sure to check with the DMV or NHTSA regarding the legality of certain cars coming to the United States. You never know, maybe that car you have your eye on is now legal to drive on the streets of the U.S.

What Cars are Illegal in the US?

1995 Audi RS2 Avant

Manufactured between March 1994 and July 1995, the Audi RS2 Avant is the first car on the NHTSA’s list of cars deemed ineligible for import, even under Show and Display Regulations. The 6-speed manual was a collaboration between Audi and Porsche, and has been argued to be the car that successfully established Audi as a producer of practical high-performance cars. The 2.2L 5-cylinder 20v turbo engine can push these wagons from 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds and top out at a max speed of around 162 mph. Unfortunately for fans in the US of A, the only way to own one of these is to establish residency in another country. Or defect to Canada.

1990 BMW M3 Sport Evolution III

With only 600 ever made, the third M3 Sport Evolution featured a 2.5 L engine designed to compete against Audi’s v8. With the creation of the M3 line, BMW designed a new 4-cylinder engine to replace 6 cylinder being used in the E30, which was too long to fit inside a car designed for every-day use. The stock engine created an easy 200 bhp, with the competition spec engine putting out 300 bhp at 8,000 rpm. Though listed as one of the NHTSA’s cars banned in the USA under Show and Display regulations, this should be exempt from the restrictions after 2015.

1993 Jaguar XJ220-S

The Jaguar XJ220-S only had 6 examples that were produced, but that was enough for the NHTSA to ban them from the United States. The S model was designed to be a street-legal version of the XJ220-C racer. The hidden headlights of the XJ220 were removed in the S model, as well as the base model’s leather trimming. The car’s engine was tuned to produce a neck-breaking 690 hp.

1993 Lamborghini Strosek Diablo

Designer Vittorio Strosek took the famous Lamborghini Diablo and modified its body, thinking it was too subtle. Modifications included the replacement of the front and rear bumper with much rounder versions, replaced headlights and turn signals, side mirrors that were placed high up on the doors, and much more.

(comp.co.uk)

1996-2001 Lotus Elise S1 and the 2000 340R

Despite an output of only 118 bhp, the Lotus Elise S1 was able to accelerate from 0 to 60 in 5.8 seconds due to its 1,600 lb weight. Capable of speeds up to 150 mph, the Elise was named after Elisa, the granddaughter of the company chairman at the time of release, Romano Aritoli. The 340R was released as a limited edition model of the Elise, with only 340 ever produced. The name 340R originally referred to the power-weight ratio of the prototype, which churned out 177 bhp at a weight of 1,100 lbs. It later came to refer to the number produced when the final production found the car at a weight of 1,550 lbs.

lemans62.org.uk

2002 Morgan Le Mans ’62 Prototype

In 2002, Morgan created 80 limited edition anniversary models of the 1962 Le Mans, as well as one prototype. Each came with its number engraved on both the steering wheel and on a plaque in the console, with the prototype detailed as car “00.” Once the line was launched, all 80 vehicles were allocated to owners within 72 hours. The cars are as accurate as possible to the original model, including the installation of only one door handle, on the driver’s side.

flipacars.com

1999 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R V-spec

Rival to the Toyota Supra and Mazda RX-7, the Nissan R34 GT-R V-spec boasted some of the most advanced technology that a 1999 car could. It was one of the first to introduce a display screen on the dashboard that listed various statistics about the engine and car during operation, including a reading of the amount of G-forces the car was experiencing. The driver’s seat had a computer jack hidden under its seat skirt to enable uploading information from the car’s system to a laptop for analysis. A quick search around the internet instantly shows the Skyline to be the most hotly requested model of the NHSTA’s cars banned in America list. Other banned Skylines are the 1995 GTS-T, R32 GT-R’s built between 1989 and 1994, the 1995 R33 GT-R, 1995 and 1996 R33 GT-R V-spec’s, the 1994 R34, the 1999 R34 GT-T and the 2001 R34 25GT-T.

Make: TVR

Other cars that are ineligible for import, as outlined by the NHTSA’s May 28, 2013 list, for show and display are listed here, alphabetized by make:

Check out the full list of cars rejected for Show and Display here (organized by alphabetically by manufacturer):

Alfa Romeo

8C Spider Roadster

2010

Aprilia

Moto 6.5

1995

Aston Martin

Virage Volante

1993

Audi

Avant RS2

1995

Bancroft

Roadster

1993

Beijing Auto. Ind. Holding

Rodedawg

2005

BMW

M3 Cabriolet

1989

BMW

M3 Sport Evolution III

1990

Chevrolet

Jimmy

1998-2009

Crosslander

244X

2005

Daimler-Chrysler

Smart Car

2000

Fiat

126 P

2000

Fiat

500 Abarth

2008

Honda

Beat

1991 – 1996

Honda

Civic Type-R

1997-2000

Honda

CRX Exclusive

1989

Jaguar

XJ 220 S (race car)

1993

Lamborghini

Strosek Diablo

1993

Land Rover

Defender 130

2000 – 2001

Lotus

340 R

2000

Lotus

Elise S1

1996 – 2001

Mazda

Cosmo

1992

Mitsubishi

Lancer Evolution Tommi Makinen Edition RD- RHD

2000

Morgan

LeMans ’62 Prototype

2002

Nissan

Figaro

1990 – 1991

Nissan

Pulsar

1991

Nissan

Silvia

2002

Nissan

Skyline GTS-T

1995

Nissan

Skyline GT-R Autech Version 40th Anniversary Edition

1998

Nissan

Skyline R32 GT-R

1989 – 1994

Nissan

Skyline R33 GT-R

1995

Nissan

Skyline R33 GT-R V-Spec

1995-1996

Nissan

Skyline R34

1999

Nissan

Skyline R34 GT-R V-Spec

1999

Nissan

Skyline R34 GT-T

1999

Nissan

Skyline R34 25GT-T

2001

Pegaso

Z-103

1991

Porsche

959 S (race car)

1989

Porsche

962 RLR

1990

Porsche

964 RS

1992

Porsche

Carrera 4 Lightweight (race car)

1990

Rover

Mini Cooper

1995, 1998 – 2000

Rover

Mini Cooper RSP / LE

1990

Saab

9-5 SportCombi

2012

Skoda

Fabia Greenline II

2012

Smart

Crossblade

2002

Toyota

HDJ81 Land Cruiser

1990

Toyota

Sera

1991

Toyota

Supra

1994

Trabant

P601

1989

TVR

Sagaris, T350, Tuscan, Cerbera

1996-2006

Volkswagen

Beetle (Old Style)

2000

Volkswagen

Beetle (Ultimate Edition)

2003

Volkswagen

Beetle (Ultima Edition)

2004

Volkswagen

Corrado Magnum Sport Kombi

1990

For fans and collectors with adequate time and money, there are ways around this. The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that if a car is not being imported by a business entity, that is, if a private citizen plans the import, there are certain stipulations that must be met. These vehicles can be imported for show and display, provided they meet the following requirements:

No other vehicle of the same make, model, and model year was manufactured and/or certified for sale in the United States.

No other vehicle of the same make, model, and model year has been determined eligible for importation under 49 CFR Part 593, which pertains to the importation of vehicles by business entities.

The vehicle is not currently in production.

Less than 500 of the vehicles were produced, unless it is proven to the NHTSA that the vehicle is of extreme technological and/or historical importance

The vehicle was not created as a kit car, replica, or special construction vehicle.

Of course, there are plenty of cars that do not meet those requirements. But the NHTSA has done applicants a favor and crafted a list of cars that are definitely not approved for import. However, there is a clause stating that cars over 25 years old are exempt from show and display regulations, meaning many of these could be pulled off the list rather soon.

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